By Issah Olegor
Former Public Affairs Manager of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fiifi Boafo, has raised strong concerns over the government’s proposed tougher sanctions against cocoa smuggling, warning that authorities must first address the deep financial hardship confronting cocoa farmers before criminalising what he describes as “hardship-driven cocoa smuggling.”
His comments follow recent disclosures by COCOBOD that a new bill before Cabinet seeks to impose a 10-year jail term, fines of up to 200,000 penalty units, and the establishment of a special cocoa tribunal to prosecute cocoa-related offences.
The proposal, according to COCOBOD officials, forms part of efforts to clamp down on the growing menace of cross-border cocoa smuggling and protect the cocoa industry.
But Boafo argues that while cocoa smuggling remains a serious issue that must be addressed, government cannot ignore the difficult conditions cocoa farmers endured throughout the 2025/2026 crop season.
In a strongly worded statement, he noted that many Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) lacked funds to purchase cocoa from farmers, while others delayed payments for weeks and, in some reported cases, up to five months after taking delivery of cocoa beans.
According to him, the failure of the cocoa purchasing system has created widespread frustration and desperation across cocoa-growing communities, making it unfair for the state to focus solely on punishment without first fixing the underlying challenges within the sector.
“The cocoa farmer depends on prompt payment not merely for comfort, but survival,” he stressed, explaining that cocoa proceeds are critical for paying school fees, medical bills, family upkeep, and reinvestment into farms.
He argued that when institutions responsible for purchasing cocoa fail to pay farmers promptly, confidence in the system collapses.
Boafo questioned why the government’s immediate priority appears to be harsher punishment for smuggling instead of ensuring that farmers and purchasing clerks receive timely payments.
He maintained that if the state expects citizens to obey cocoa laws, then COCOBOD must also fulfill its obligations under the COCOBOD Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), which mandates the Board to ensure the effective purchase and marketing of all cocoa produced in Ghana.
He further cautioned against creating what he described as a “one-sided relationship” where farmers are swiftly punished while institutional failures attract no consequences.
According to him, a farmer who waits months without payment cannot reasonably be treated as a hardened criminal for seeking alternative means to survive or secure immediate payment through cross-border sales.
The former COCOBOD Corporate Affairs Manager insisted that the solution to cocoa smuggling goes beyond punishment and must begin with restoring confidence in the cocoa purchasing system.
He outlined several urgent reforms needed within the sector, including guaranteed prompt payment to farmers, reliable funding support for Licensed Buying Companies, fair producer prices, improved transparency in cocoa purchases, and stronger accountability within COCOBOD itself.
Boafo therefore urged Parliament and policymakers to pay equal attention to the hardship and uncertainty facing cocoa farmers before approving severe criminal sanctions under the proposed law.
“Protecting the cocoa industry must go hand in hand with protecting the dignity and livelihood of the cocoa farmer,” he stated, warning that policies centered only on punishment risk deepening frustration in cocoa-growing communities and undermining trust in the cocoa sector.
